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Multiagency Deal Aims to Address Salton Sea

/in , , /by /Calexico Chronicle by Mike Salorio

The cavalry is coming, so to speak, in the form of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which entered into a feasibility study agreement with local and state government agencies to find shovel-ready solutions for saving the Salton Sea.

The significance of the collaboration was highlighted at a signing ceremony held at the North Shores Beach and Yacht Club near Mecca on Friday, Dec. 16, where the Salton Sea Authority, California Natural Resources Agency, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers entered into the Imperial Streams Salton Sea Feasibility Cost-Share Agreement, which will develop and propose solutions to save the ever-receding Salton Sea.

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Ramona Water District Considers Waiving Fees for Granny Flats

/in , , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant

Ramona Municipal Water District directors next month will discuss a proposal to waive water and sewer service fees for accessory dwelling units built at the same time as a single-family home. Directors reviewed fees for small accessory dwelling units, also known as ADUs or granny flats, at their Dec. 13 meeting. But instead of approving the proposal, they asked staff to research how other water districts manage the fees for those types of buildings.

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Army Corps Study of Salton Sea Could Yield Billions for Long-Term Restoration

/in , , /by /The Desert Sunby Janet Wilson

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to review both short-term and long-term options for restoring the Salton Sea, which could ultimately net billions for major public works to restore the crashing ecosystem of California’s largest water body. First up, the federal agency will, by March 1 of next year, complete streamlined federal environmental reviews of projects that are part of the state Salton Sea Management Program’s 10-year plan that is supposed to be completed by 2028, including some that are underway.

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SDG&E Breaks Ground for ‘Microgrid’ in Clairemont to Maximize Renewal Energy

/in , /by /Times of San Diego by City News Service

San Diego Gas & Electric broke ground on the Clairemont microgrid Tuesday, one of four projects the utility has planned at its existing substations.

Once finished, the Clairemont microgrid will be able to provide backup power to San Diego Fire Station 36, the Balboa Branch Library and local schools such as Lafayette Elementary, Sequoia Elementary, Innovation and CPMA Middle Schools and Madison High School.

Microgrids are small-scale grids that can operate independent of or parallel to the larger regional grid to keep critical facilities powered during unexpected outages.

Each microgrid project is paired with energy storage, with the four projects bringing an additional 39 megawatts of battery capacity to the region. SDG&E currently has 95 MW of utility-owned energy storage online, with another 200+ MW in development.

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Upgrade Costs for Carlsbad Desalination Plant Will Be Passed Along to San Diego Ratepayers

/in , /by /KPBS Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Water bills in San Diego are about to go up, and that increase is due in part to planned upgrades at the Carlsbad Desalination Plant. Those upgrades are estimated to cost $274 million. The San Diego County Water Authority approved the upgrades to the plant’s seawater intakes at a board meeting on Thursday.

“This action by the board moves the Carlsbad Desalination Plant one step closer to meeting state marine life mandates,” said Water Authority Board Chair Mel Katz. “Staff has worked diligently to ensure that the costs are as low as possible while continuing to provide our region with a drought-proof source of water. We are thankful to have this resource when so much of the West is suffering from extreme drought, and we expect it will be increasingly valuable as climate change further disrupts California’s hydrology.”

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Water Industry Workers Support Holiday Giving Programs

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Holiday giving programs are a tradition among the San Diego region’s water and wastewater agencies. As in previous years, in 2022, employees pitched in to help a wide array of nonprofit community services.

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San Diego’s Zombie Water Pipeline Project is Dead Again. For Now.

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego’s proposal to build its own $5 billion pipeline to the Colorado River and bypass paying Los Angeles for water is now in a state of the undead –technically lifeless unless local water officials choose to revive it again.

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FPUD Updates New Development Fees

/in , /by /Village Newsby Joe Naiman

The Fallbrook Public Utility District board approved an update for fees FPUD charges for new development or other new service. The 5-0 board vote Dec. 5 adopted miscellaneous engineering service and other related fees. The fees are based on the cost of materials, labor time and equipment used to perform the work. “Each fee is based on the actual typical time,” said FPUD senior engineer Aaron Cook.

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Chula Vista Students Learn How Water Produces Energy

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Students in the Chula Vista Elementary School District learned about the science of hydroelectric power during their most recent Innovation LIVE! event. The online lesson, “Water + Wheel = Power!” was led by CVESD’s Hydro Station on December 2.

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How is San Diego Doing in This Drought?

/in , , /by /NBC 7 San Diego Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A drought emergency has been declared in Southern California amid dwindling water supplies in the region. NBC 7’s Audra Stafford has details on how San Diego County fairs in this predicament.

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